


Immersion: Lance's Side

by SharkGirl



Series: Year of Shance [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avoidance, Canonical Character Death, Cat Ears, Cat/Human Hybrids, Coming Untouched, Communication, Companion Piece, Denial, Escapism, Established Relationship, Goodbyes, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Mentions of Character Death, Monsters & Mana (Voltron), Purring, Running Away, Self-Derision, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 15:13:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20977976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: He played it off. Almost made a joke of it. But what it came down to was…this was a chance for him to be with Shiro again. His Shiro. The one he’d fallen in love with. And the one who loved him back.Lance didn’t care if it was unhealthy. If it was weird. This was how he was dealing with losing the love of his life.A companion piece toImmersion.





	Immersion: Lance's Side

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So, a few people expressed an interest is seeing Lance's side of what Shiro accidentally walked in on in my other fic, [Immersion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20773016). I hope you like it!  
Also, if you haven't read Immersion yet, I suggest that you do. But you can read this one first, I suppose~ Live your life ♥
> 
> Beta'd by the lovely Jes~  
Please enjoy!!  
Oh, a little note: I switch back and forth between Pike and Lance and between Gyro and Shiro, but that's on purpose.

Lance hummed to himself as he set up the game, booting up the board and readying their magnetized pieces. Pidge had tinkered with it quite a bit since the first time they all played. A smile curved his lips as he remembered that particular quest.

The addition of virtual reality had definitely made things easier for Lance. Easier and…all the more difficult. He had a great imagination – he liked to think – but it was really cool to feel like you were ‘in the game.’ And when he found out their characters were automatically saved inside it using the same tech that preserved King Alfor’s consciousness in the Castle of Lions, well… Lance had gotten his hopes up.

“Is it possible?” he’d asked Coran one day while helping him clean up. “He could still be in there?”

Coran was the only one Lance had spoken to about it. And after the older man confirmed his suspicions – albeit hesitantly – Lance made sure not to breathe a word of it to anyone. Though, Pidge and Hunk probably had some idea of why he went off to play Monsters & Mana by himself so often. But if they knew, they kept it to themselves. Either out of respect for Lance’s grieving process or because they weren’t sure how to broach the subject.

Lance was thankful either way.

And so, after making sure everything was set up properly, Lance put the VR helmet on, securing the earphones and adjusting the screen. It blinked to life right away, showing where he’d last left off in the game. Some village in the mountains.

He awoke in a bed – for once they’d splurged for an inn, as opposed to camping out in the woods – but he noticed that, save for himself, it was very much empty.

Where had Gyro gotten off to so early in the morning?

It might have been the middle of the day cycle on the ship, but it was just after dawn in the game.

Curious, Lance – or, Pike, as the case just so happened to be – pulled himself out of bed, gave a mighty stretch, and began looking for his party member. The sensitive ears atop his head flicked with each sound – a young bird, two men haggling a floor below, and a squirrel scurrying through the underbrush – but he didn’t hear Gyro yet.

Pike frowned, his tail drooping. He’d specifically gotten on to spend time with him and now he was off doing goodness knows what.

But then an icy feeling clawed its way up Pike’s spine.

What if Gyro was gone? What if his memories had been erased from the game completely?

This was the only way he could see him. If he wasn’t here anymore, then he was truly gone.

Pike didn’t realize he’d started crying until the rough pad of a calloused thumb brushed a stray tear away. He blinked and peered up to find Gyro looking down at him with concern. He opened his mouth to say something, but Pike dove at him, wrapping his arms tightly around Gyro’s middle and burying his face in his chest. Pike could hear the steady beating of the other’s heart and it helped him relax.

“I’m sorry,” Gyro said, his deep voice resonating in his chest. “I saw you were starting to wake up, so I went out to get a quest.”

“You should have woken me the rest of the way,” Pike replied with a sniffle before pulling back and wiping his face. “I thought-”

“I know. I’m sorry,” he apologized again. “You just looked so cute all snuggled up in bed, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Pike snorted. “That’s not what you said last night.”

Gyro’s cheeks tinted pink before he coughed into his fist and changed the subject. “I have our next mission, by the way.”

“Oh?” Pike perked up at that. It was fun just hanging around and talking to Gyro – among other things…ahem – but it was also really fun to go on little side quests together while their other party members were busy doing whatever it was the game had them do in ‘sleep mode.’

“Yeah,” Gyro replied. “And it’s a really good one,” he added with a bright smile.

“I’m intrigued,” Pike purred, the tip of his tail flicking from side to side. “Do tell, Mr. Holy Knight.”

“Well, an elderly gentleman asked if we could bring some herbs across the mountain to a sick relative,” he finished excitedly. Oh, how that paladin liked to do good deeds. But his face fell when he noticed Pike’s level of excitement didn’t quite match his. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Pike assured him, standing on his tiptoes and kissing Gyro’s pout away. “I just think it’s cute how psyched up you get for helping out ancient humans.”

“I can’t help it…”

“I know,” Pike said with a laugh before patting a hand against Gyro’s chest. Then he rubbed his fingers together in the universally understood motion of ‘So, what’s the job pay?’

“I said we’d do it for three gold,” Gyro said and then quickly added, “It’s not really that far, maybe five or six miles. And we only have to cross one river.”

Pike laughed again and shook his head. “You goofball,” he threw out with a snort. “You promised all that work for three gold pieces?”

“Yes…” Gyro ducked his head. “But he really seemed like he needed the assistance and-”

Pike pressed a finger to Gyro’s lips. “Fine,” he said. And before he could officially accept the quest, Gyro engulfed him in a bear hug, peppering kisses all over his cheeks and neck. He tried to push him off, but gave up. “Okay, okay. I love you, too, Gyro.”

“Not nearly as much as I love you,” the paladin swore as he scooped Pike up into his arms and carried him bridal style over the threshold. “I’m so glad you’re here to help me right all the wrongs of this world,” he teased, using words Pike often threw his way.

“I know, I know,” Pike smiled, but then deflated. As much as he loved going into the game and visiting Gyro, that was as much as they could do. In a varga or two, Lance would have to power down the game and return to the real world.

A world without the Takashi Shirogane he’d come to love.

“I miss you,” he said, voice cracking. “Every day, I-” He cut himself off with a sob. Damn, he was crying again.

Gyro’s hold on him tightened. “I miss you, too,” he breathed. Gyro set him on his feet and, after a breath, asked, “Have you given any thought to what we talked about?”

“Shiro…” Lance answered, still unsure. Gyro had mentioned that, even though he was gone, the original Shiro, the _real _Shiro, was back, and that Lance should try talking to him about all this. “No…” Lance decided, not ready to take that step. “He’s…” he sniffled. “It’s not the same.”

“I know it’s hard.” Gyro reached out and took Lance’s hand in his.

“He’s different,” Lance admitted. “He’s not you.”

Gyro opened his mouth and then, as if thinking better of it, chewed on his cheek for moment before giving Lance’s hand a squeeze and saying something else. “You know, if we hurry, we can get to the river before breakfast time.”

Lance – well, Pike – straightened, his ears perking up. “Fresh fish?”

“All you can catch,” Gyro promised.

And then, without skipping a beat, Pike took off. “Last one there has to gather firewood!” he called, though he still had Gyro’s hand squeezed tightly in his as he half-dragged the laughing paladin behind him.

Perhaps it was selfish of Lance to bail on his friends. After all, it had been so long since their schedules had synched up enough for casual interactions, let alone game night. But Lance had a date. A hot date, if he was being honest – which, he was – and he wasn’t about to miss it.

So, before everyone got to the game room, Lance picked up his favorite headset and made a beeline for the exit. But he stopped when he nearly ran into Pidge in the doorway.

“Solo play again?” she asked, quirking a brow. She was attempting a teasing tone. But the concern was clear in her eyes. She was worried about him. They all were.

“Yup,” Lance replied, popping the ‘p’ playfully. “I got stopped in the middle of a quest last time.” Not a complete lie. But sometimes things got a little hot and heavy and Lance had to remind himself that he was in a common area. Or, to explain what really happened, the ship’s alarms were being tested and he was pulled from the game before his hand was completely down his pants.

“Have fun,” Pidge offered with a wave as she walked the rest of the way into the room. She didn’t argue with him. It was too soon. The wounds were still too fresh. Lance was grieving. And his friends, his _family, _they were letting him heal in his own way.

Though, he couldn’t rely on that for much longer. Sooner or later, there’d be an intervention.

“But that’s Future Lance’s problem,” he hummed to himself as he walked down the hallway to his room for some…alone time.

To be fair, Lance hadn’t immediately started using Pidge’s new technology to have virtual sex with his deceased boyfriend – wow, that was a sentence and a half, wasn’t it? – but things had sort of escalated.

One day, he and Gyro were on a mission where Pike nearly died – well, lost a life in the game – and Gyro had grabbed him, held him close, whispered how scared he was over and over again before kissing him deep. And, well, one thing led to another and…

So, yeah, from time to time, Lance took the VR helmet up to his room, plugged it into the ship – on a secure server – and did the dirty with his boyfriend’s digital ghost.

He played it off. Almost made a joke of it. But what it came down to was…this was a chance for him to be with Shiro again. His Shiro. The one he’d fallen in love with. And the one who loved him back.

Lance didn’t care if it was unhealthy. If it was weird. This was how he was dealing with losing the love of his life.

A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed around it. Now wasn’t the time for tears. He was about to see Gyro after all. And Pike didn’t cry. Much.

Pike booted up the game. The familiar sounds of the forest filled his ears, filtering in through the soft headphones. The screen slowly brightened, revealing the lush Auritan forest. And there, seated near a tent across from the dimly lit campfire, was Gyro.

“Hey, Mr. Holy Knight,” Pike greeted with a flash of a sharp fang. “Miss me?”

“Lance!” Gyro said and then chuckled before correcting himself. “I mean the great ninja assassin, Pike.” He closed the distance between them and wrapped Pike in a tight hug. “And, yes, I missed you terribly.”

“Me, too,” Pike sighed, breathing in his scent. It was muted – virtual reality, after all – but it still smelled very much like Shiro. Pike nuzzled against Gyro’s neck, unashamed of the vibration in his chest.

“You’re purring,” Gyro noted as one of his large hands cupped the back of Pike’s head.

“Am not,” Pike lied in return, the rumbling growing louder when Gyro began scratching behind one of his large, sensitive ears. “Mmm…”

“I really did miss you,” Gyro said after a moment. “I waited.”

Pike’s eyelids fluttered open at that. He gazed around, immediately recognizing the scene. It was where they’d left off, right down to the rumpled blankets on the leaf-covered ground. “You waited this whole time?”

“Not much else to do,” Gyro admitted. “But if it helps, time doesn’t really pass for me when you’re not here,” he said. “So, I just woke up and realized I must have been waiting.”

That was a relief. Pike hated to think that Gyro was alone in the game while Lance was out and about in the real world.

“Now, not to rush,” Gyro continued, curling a finger under Pike’s chin and tilting his head up. “But would you like to continue where we left off or…?” There was a blush high on the paladin’s cheeks, but his eyes were dark, hungry, and the sight caused heat to pool in Pike’s belly.

“And you say _I’m_ the needy one,” Pike breathed before pressing their lips together.

It was odd how real everything felt in the game. Real, but not quite. Almost like ghosts of touches. Which was why, no matter how far he and Gyro went, Lance ended up physically finishing himself off on the outside of the game. Not that he was complaining. Gyro was one hell of an inspirational piece, after all.

Speaking of, how in all of Aurita had Gyro gotten Pike almost completely undressed already?

“Not fair,” Pike murmured against his lips before beginning to strip the paladin. “Gotta even the odds,” he said before tugging the other’s pants down and throwing them off to the side.

“Even?” Gyro replied breathlessly, his face flushed. He was bare, his back against the rumpled blankets while Pike hovered over him. “But now you’re over dressed,” Gyro said, giving Pike’s own pants a pull.

“Okay, okay,” Pike acquiesced, removing the last of his clothing and tossing it to the join the rest on the forest floor. Gyro’s hands were immediately on him, one squeezing his backside and the other wrapping around the base of his tail. “Ah,” Pike moaned, throwing his head back. “Gyro, c’mon,” he said airily.

There was a sound in the distance. The snapping of a twig, maybe? Whatever. Pike chose to ignore it.

“You’re so gorgeous like this,” Gyro praised, giving Pike’s tail a gentle pull.

“Gyro…d-don’t tease me…” Pike complained, hating how much he was feeling it already. He was trying to play it cool, after all. But Shiro always knew just how to take him apart. Piece by piece, until he was completely vulnerable and open. A shaking, quivering mass of want.

“I’m not,” Gyro promised, leaning up to nose the side of Pike’s cheek. “I just love the reactions I get,” he added before releasing Pike’s tail in favor of teasing his entrance. He stilled. “Already?”

Pike should have had the decency to blush, but he was too horny. “I prepared myself before I logged on,” he confessed with a purr, almost too quiet to hear, but Gyro heard him loud and clear.

Back in the real world, Lance was nearly bare on his bed, save for a pair of panties – Shiro’s favorite. He would have liked to strip himself the rest of the way, but Gyro was back on him, growling softly in his ear as he pressed a finger against his rim.

“A-Ah,” Pike gasped, lowering his head to Gyro’s chest as he slid inside him. He was so close already, it was embarrassing.

“Are you going to come for me already, Kitten?” Gyro’s breath was hot against his ear. He knew that nickname was Lance’s weakness. And why, oh, why had Lance told Shiro how much he liked dirty talk? “Going to make a mess?” he teased.

“I…c-can’t…” His mind was mush – again, embarrassing – He wasn’t even sure what he was saying anymore. How could Shiro get him there so fast?

“Sure you can,” Gyro soothed, slipping his finger out before adding another. “Do you need me here?” he asked, his other hand moving between Pike’s legs toward his neglected cock.

“Gyro,” he moaned, but shook his head. Gyro understood and lowered his hand, redoubling his effort by curling his fingers. “It’s goooood …” Pike crooned.

“Is this enough?” Gyro asked, pressing his own arousal against Pike’s inner thigh.

Pike nodded, eyes slipping closed and mouth hanging open. “I can…like this.” He wet his lips, focusing on the delicious stretch. “Mmm…” Pike arched his back. “I’m…I’m close…” He didn’t even care if it was embarrassing anymore. Shiro always made him feel good. He let his head fall to Gyro’s chest, changing the angle slightly and then, “I’m-”

It was amazing just how real it felt. Even if he tightened around his own fingers in the real world, it truly felt as though Shiro was there. Lance could hear his breathing, the beating of his heart as his chest rose and fell beneath him. He swore those soothing fingers tracing up and down his sides and across his back were really there.

“…love you, Takashi…” he panted.

“I love you, too,” Gyro replied.

Loose and boneless, Pike tried to pull himself up. “Let me take care of you now,” he said, reaching for Gyro’s cock.

“You don’t have to,” Gyro replied, ever the gallant paladin.

Pike rolled his eyes. “Knock it off with the chivalrous crap and let me suck your dick.”

Romantic, it wasn’t. But Gyro didn’t argue.

Sometime later, while the two were basking in the afterglow, Gyro cleared his throat, getting Pike’s attention. “Mmn?” Pike gave a stretch, craning his neck to look up at Gyro from his place on the paladin’s chest.

“I know I keep bringing it up,” Gyro began and Lance’s heart sank. He knew where this was going. “But you should really talk to him.”

With a sigh, Lance pulled back and sat up, Gyro following right behind. “I know I should talk to him, okay?” Lance said with a defeated slump of his shoulders. “But it’s hard.”

“I know, baby,” Gyro, his Shiro, comforted him. “But I’m sure he’s feeling really lonely right now.”

Lance snorted before he could stop himself. Shiro? Lonely? Not with everyone all over him since he returned – stole his clone’s body. Then again, Keith was off with the Blades, so maybe that’s what Gyro meant.

“He is me, after all,” Gyro continued, but Lance was quick to interject.

“He’s not you,” he argued. “You’re you.”

“I am artificial intelligence based on the actions and brain function of a sentience that no longer exists,” Gyro corrected with a smile that didn’t quite cover the sadness shining in his eyes. “Kitten,” he used the nickname again, “I’m not saying you have to forget about me-”

“That’s what it sounds like,” Lance replied petulantly. “You keep telling me to talk to Shiro. Saying that he’ll feel things he doesn’t-”

“How do you know he doesn’t feel them if you never talk to him?” Gyro pointed out.

“He just doesn’t, okay?” Lance dropped his gaze to the rumpled blanket beneath them. There was a gentle hand on his chin, tilting his head up. “He doesn’t feel the same, Takashi…”

“Kitten,” he said and then leaned forward, bumping their foreheads. “Lance, I can’t speak for him at this very moment, but I can speak as him. I had feelings for you long before we started dating,” he said. “And if I felt that, he must feel it, too.”

Lance let that digest for a moment, hope flickering in his chest. But he stamped it down. Shiro didn’t feel that way about him. Otherwise, he would have said something, right?

Then again, Lance _had_ been avoiding him. So maybe…

But no! That would be cheating on_ his_ Shiro. Wouldn’t it?

“You’re thinking too loud,” Gyro teased before kissing the top of his head. “Shiro is me. And I’m him,” he said. “Even though I’m gone, he’s still here. He’s still me,” he explained. “So, the only thing we’ve truly lost is time.”

As usual, Lance didn’t realize he’d started crying until Gyro wiped one of his tears away with the pad of his thumb. “He’s really you?”

“Down to his DNA,” he answered with a smile. “I can only imagine how much he’s been missing you.”

Lance gave a watery laugh. “Can’t miss something you’ve never had.”

“I beg to differ,” Gyro replied. “Now, you’d better go and talk to him before you chicken out.” He chuckled as Lance balked. “And, remember, I’ll still be here if you need to talk. Or, maybe I’ll run off with a computer-generated Pike.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Lance threatened playfully.

“I might,” he replied with a wink. “Then again…” He grew serious. “Maybe you should rewrite my file.”

“Takashi…”

“Not right away,” he said. “When you’re ready.”

Tears burned Lance’s eyes again. “I don’t want to say goodbye.”

“You don’t have to.” Gyro gave him a quick kiss. “I’m out there. Waiting for you.”

“And,” Lance began, wetting his lips. “You really think he feels the same.”

“I know it,” Gyro answered. “I’m just not sure _he_ knows it yet,” he added with a laugh.

“Very reassuring,” Lance sighed.

“Just go,” Gyro urged. “If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”

Lance knew what he meant. Anything could happen when you were fighting in a war. And the last thing Lance wanted was to miss his chance.

“I’m going to miss you,” Lance said finally. But Gyro just smiled softly, leaning close to kiss him once more. Then, without realizing he’d unplugged, Lance was back in his room. He wrinkled his nose at the mess he’d made on the bed and shook his head. He had no idea what time it was, but he needed to talk to Shiro right away before he – as Gyro had so eloquently put it – chickened out.

Still…he groaned as he stepped out of bed.

“Okay, shower first. Then talk.”

**Author's Note:**

> And, of course, after this, Lance goes to talk to Shiro and we see how that goes at the end of my other fic.
> 
> I love Kuron so much, you don't even know. All Shiros are good Shiros.
> 
> Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or hitting me up on tumblr @bleucheesy or Twitter @bySharkGirl~


End file.
